Fire in the Snow
by silvergryphon06
Summary: The caverns below the temple of Andraste hold many dangers. The snow drifts through the cracks of the mountain and a potentially deadly mission will bring them closer than they have ever been before. One-shot!


_**A/N: **_**A cute little one-shot that had been rolling around, gathering dust on my computer. Read, Review and Enjoy! :)  
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**Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
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**Warning: Lemon ahead, ye have been warned!  
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* * *

The air was dank, and chilled, as the scraping of hard-soled boots echoed through the chamber. Softly glowing mushrooms dotted the stone floor, helping the torch she held in a gloved hand illuminate the tunnel of rock. She let out a shuddering breath, a mist forming as soon as it passed her lips. The hilt of the short sword was grasped firmly in her other hand, the red torchlight reflecting dully in its sharply honed surface. There was a soft splash as the toe of her boot disturbed a small pool of water and lifted her foot, giving it a rough shake.

"Watch the puddle. It looks like it gets a bit deep towards the middle," she warned her companions.

The gentle clicking of Dalreth's nails against the relatively even, rock ground increased in speed as the huge mabari took a flying leap, easily clearing the standing water with a happy rumbling. He lolled his tongue up at her and she couldn't help but grin back, scratching him behind the ear fondly. The daughter of the Teyrn then resumed her walk, albeit at a slower pace so that the Warden behind her would be able to see the water.

"What puddle?"

Several splooshing sounds followed the question and Elissa paused, turning around to see the heavily armored ex-templar up to his plate covered calf in water.

"I see you found it, Alistair," she answered coolly, a twitch pulling at the corner of her lips.

They had gone ahead of the others, in order to scout out the tunnels that slithered beneath the ancient remains of the temple. Elissa had ordered Morrigan and Leliana to stay behind and guard Brother Genitivi. While Morrigan had grumbled about not being a healer, she had complied, her cat gold eyes softening for just an instant as she had warned Elissa to be careful. It was unusual, Elissa had to admit, but ever since she had given the mage that gorgeously ornate mirror, the woman had seemed to come to regard her as a friend.

The sloshing that came towards her snapped her back to the present and grumbling under his breath, Alistair emerged from the stagnant pool, attempting to shake the water from his boots. The rustling of his armor seemed louder in the confined space of the cave and Elissa hissed out a breath, sheathing her blade and putting her hand on his arm to still him in one smooth motion.

"Stop that, you idiot! Do you want those dragon worshiping fanatics to know we're coming? How'd you like to take on that high dragon once we reach the surface again on the other side of the mountain?"

That made him freeze instantly, the color draining from his features.

"I'd rather read a love poem to Morrigan, starkers," he admitted in a whisper and she sighed.

"I'm sorry, Alistair," she murmured back, patting his shoulder, "I didn't mean to tease you with forbidden images of your beloved."

She easily dodged the attempt swat to her person with a soft laugh and he glared at her, honey colored eyes flashing in the dim light.

"That's hardly amusing, you vile female!"

Still chuckling, she gestured for them to move on, Dalreth and the elder Warden falling into step with her.

"Oh, I disagree. It's just as amusing as that tale you spun about cheese-reviling, flying dogs from the Anderfells."

"I was being completely honest with you," he protested quietly, "I can't be anything less with a pretty girl."

Luckily her back was to him or he would have seen her blush. Maker, he shouldn't be able to get that kind of reaction out of her with a silly compliment, and a flippant one at that. Shaking her head slowly, she schooled her expression and looked back at him over her shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind the next time you deny licking a lamppost in winter."

Whatever response he would have given her was drowned out by his sudden yell of surprise. The frigid air of the cavernous tunnel had slickened the remaining moisture on his boots, and his arms wind milled frantically as his foot shot forward and up, sending him careening backwards.

With reflexes honed from months of constant battle, the heir to the Cousland name whipped around and caught him beneath his elbow, the lean muscles of her arms flexing hard as she struggled for a brief moment to keep him upright. Dalreth wriggled between their legs and braced his broad back against Alistair's knees. The group effort kept the man from falling flat on his bit-able, well-defined- stop that, Cousland, she snarled to herself silently.

Tugging with all her strength, Elissa pulled him up back to steady footing and he let out loud breath.

"Thanks," he muttered as she released the armor covering his elbow, and started to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.

As she nodded and turned around to resume their trek, she caught the words he mumbled under his breath, the acoustics of the space amplifying them to reach her ears.

"That's what I get for letting myself get an eyeful."

Elissa nearly stumbled, but she caught herself, another flush searing her cheeks. Pretending to not have heard, she lifted the torch higher and drew her blade. They must have walked for at least half a mile when Elissa stopped short. Suddenly Dalreth growled low in his throat, his hackles rising as his lips pulled back, baring his fangs. The two humans exchanged a glance and she gestured forward with the torch.

"Do you see that light? Looks like a campfire, doesn't it?" she whispered as Alistair drew close beside her.

Indeed, there was a soft yellow glow just ahead of them and Elissa swiftly extinguished her torch, looping the remnants into the belt that hugged her waist. Silently, she reached down and drew the long knife that she kept hidden in her boot. Twirling it expertly, she gripped the hilt, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Alistair as he slipped his arm through the leather strap of his large round shield, his sword already in his other hand. He leaned close, his breath warmly brushing the shell of her ear and Elissa bit her lip to keep from shuddering.

"So how are we going to do this?" he murmured and she tilted her head towards his, her eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"Have you ever known me to approach a situation in any way but one?"

He inclined his head to her with a wry grin.

"Pardon me if not all of us were born with the ability to be sneaky, though lovely, pickpockets."

Elissa raised a brow at him as she stalked forward.

"That sounds suspiciously like a longing tone in your voice for your witch thief, Alistair. Are you sure you wouldn't like to turn back and enjoy her company? Send Lelianna back up here instead? I'm perfectly willing to wait, you know. We sneaky pickpockets have infinite patience."

"You've been waiting for that opportunity, haven't you?"

Her lips curved as she replied quietly,

"Ever since you commented on my eating habits."

By that point they were at the mouth of a small, side room. Elissa peered in, signaling for Dalreth and Alistair to halt just to her left. With two fingers, she indicated for Alistair to take the right flank and he quickly fell into position on the other side of the opening, his armor managing to be close to noiseless as he moved. As her eyes roved the cavern, she noted the empty bedrolls, rows of shelves, and a large campfire. A nearby opening revealed the cloudy night sky, snow falling lazily through and gathering into large drifts at the far end of the space. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she realized that there was no one else visible. She leaned down towards her faithful hound.

"Stay here, boy. Guard our rear, please?"

He whimpered softly, but turned his back to her, his head twisting this way and that as he carried out his mistress's request. Nodding to Alistair, they both crept into the room, Elissa's expression wary and cautious. When nothing charged them, she straightened, spinning her blades in lazy arcs before sheathing them.

"It's empty," she confirmed as Alistair put away his own weapon, securing his shield at his back.

Poking at a threadbare blanket with the toe of her boot, the clanking of chain mail alerted her to Alistair's approach and she glanced at him as he passed her, walking towards a set of tall shelves, half of its contents buried in the snow.

"Look at all these tomes. It's like whoever was here just...left, abandoning everything."

His words triggered alarm in her mind and she spun on her heel.

"Alistair, don't touch anything! It's a trap!"

Too late, his gauntleted hand had already pulled down a book and there was a blinding flash of blue light. A rumbling started, reverberating right into her bones and she stumbled as the ground shook. Dust and snow fell from the ceiling and coating the air thickly. Barking echoed over the cacophony of crashing noises.

"Dalreth, no! Stay back!"

A shelf collapsed near her and she tried to dodge its tumbling weight, but its edge caught her in the ribcage, sending her hurtling backwards. The wind was knocked from her lungs as she collided with another shelf, crumbling to the snow covered floor with an agonized groan.

The cold crunch of her cheek slamming into the icy whiteness was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

Elissa blinked groggily, flexing her numbed fingers in the confines of her gloves. Her cheek burned and the right side of her torso throbbed painfully. Coughing hoarsely, she tried to sit up, sliding her hands and bracing, finding purchase through the slick, damp snow. The fire crackled warmly and she idly thought it was surprising that it had managed to stay lit after all that. When she turned her head towards the entrance, she groaned as she observed that it was completely covered by large boulders.

They were sealed in.

"Dalreth?" she called, her voice cracking, "Alistair?"

There was a distant barking in response and she let out a sigh of relief. One down and alive. She shook her head roughly, her throat burning.

"Al-Alistair?" she said again, managing to rise to her knees.

There was a soft moan to her left as she dug into the pouch that hung at her belt. She clambered to her feet, swaying a little and grasping two small bottles in her hand tightly. She uncorked one, grimacing at its unpleasant smell. Tipping her head back, she downed the bitter red liquid and threw down the bottle with a scowl. It worked, however, the pain subsiding and she could feel the broken rib that was a result of her tumble beginning to re-knit itself.

Elissa steadied as the potion worked on her body and she darted across the room to where she could see a jumble of plate and a shock of auburn hair. Falling to her knees, she gently touched Alistair's shoulder, carefully turning him over and cradling his head in her lap. She lifted her voice again.

"Dalreth? Dalreth, can you hear me, boy?"

He barked, the sound muffled behind the mass of rocks.

"Dalreth? Go get Morrigan and Leliana!"

There was a sharp howling noise and she shook her head.

"I'm not arguing with you! We're trapped and we need help! We'll be fine till you get back, boy, now hurry!"

Another series of barks were immediately followed by silence, the only sounds now the harsh sounds of their breathing and the wind from outside swirling into the cavern. Elissa unplugged the stopper from the last bottle with her teeth before spitting it out to the side.

"Alistair? Alistair, where does it hurt?"

He gritted his teeth, his caramel eyes fluttering and focusing on her concerned face above him.

"Now that's a lovely sight to wake up to."

She let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, at least I know that cave in didn't scramble your brain too much. Here-"

She gently held the back of his head with one hand as the other lifted the opening of the bottle to his lips. He drank it in one gulp, wincing at the horrid taste.

"Feeling better?" she asked, letting the bottle roll away from her as she placed her hand on his chest.

"Much, although there has to be potions out there that taste better than that concoction."

She grinned down at him, her relief at them all surviving making her feel giddy.

"If so, it's probably kept just for good templars who hunt their mages and sleep with their Chantry prayer books beneath their pillows every night."

He let out a bark of laughter, then immediately grimaced as he propped himself on an elbow. Easing her knees from beneath him, she helped him to stand. Alistair threw an arm around her shoulder as he steadied himself, her arm going around his bulky waist. His eyes searched the room and then fell on the wall of large stones barring the entrance.

"Sweet Andraste's Mercy, what did I do?"

Elissa poked him hard in the ribs and he let out a yelp of pain. He glared down at her, a look that she met evenly.

"You didn't listen, that's what."

As he stared down into her eyes, he must have noticed the bruising that was still on her cheek, because his gaze softened and he lifted a gauntleted hand to tenderly touch the marred skin.

"What happened to you?"

She pointed to the ruined remains of the shelf that had attacked her.

"That shelf and I had a disagreement. It wanted to give me a hug, and I refused," she covered his hand with hers, giving him her best smile, "I told it I wasn't interested and it took offense to that."

But Alistair wasn't laughing, his thumb brushing over the curve of her jaw, his eyes roving over her face.

"You could have been killed, thanks to my stupidity."

Frowning up at him, she brought her hand from his to flick at the tip of his nose, to catch his attention.

"Hey," she said softly, "I've had far worse than this and you know it. We're both fine," she changed the subject, "I sent Dalreth to fetch Morrigan and Leliana. They should be here to dig us out in a couple of hours."

Alistair didn't respond though his eyes watched lips form the words.

"I could have lost you," he muttered, as if he were talking to himself more than to her.

She frowned up at him, turning under his arm until she was facing him fully, though she didn't step back. Tugging off her gloves, she touched his face with her bare hands, hoping the contact would be enough to bring him out of whatever dark line he was walking. His fingers were still cupping her face.

"Alistair," she said firmly, making sure that his eyes were on hers, "I am not going anywhere. And neither are you. We are going to make it out of here and we are going to save Ferelden from the darkspawn and we are going to send that Archdemon straight back to whatever black pit it crawled out of."

He finally gave her a small smile, his arm coming from around her shoulders and his hands dropping down to settle on her waist.

"And that is why you're the leader of our little team of ragtags."

She grinned up at him.

"And don't you forget it."

He shook his head, his mood apparently having improved tremendously.

"There's nothing about you that I could ever forget," his words were spoken with such sincerity that she felt butterflies erupt in her belly.

Elissa bit her lip as he smiled down at her, internally debating with herself. Then, having made up her mind, she rose on her tiptoes and softly pressed her lips to his cheek. She pulled back to look into his wide amber eyes.

"We'll make it through all this, Alistair. I promise you that."

"Don't make a promise that you can't keep," he said quietly.

"Have I yet?"

Alistair was silent, his gaze searching hers for something. She held very still as he shifted a hair closer to her, his eyes flicking between hers and her lips. A strong gust of wind blew flakes of snow towards them and the chill breeze made her shiver. His arms slid around her waist, pulling her against him, the metal of his armor cold against the warmth of her leather brigantine.

"Elissa?" he asked softly and she tilted her head up at him.

Slowly, tenderly, she rose once again to her tiptoes, her arms winding their way around his neck as she closed the distance and pressed her lips to his. His lips were warm, soft against her mouth, the spark that skittered through her blood at the contact causing her pounding heart to skip a beat. Alistair's lips were hesitant, tentative, but he kissed her back, their lips gliding silkily against each other. Again and again, she repeated the motion, small, sweet, almost chaste kisses, guiding his movements with soft instructions, encouraging him to mimic her actions.

The need to breathe broke them apart and Elissa dropped back to her feet, her breathing as uneven as his.

"Alistair," she breathed, a question, a plea, a demand, she wasn't sure, but somehow he seemed to know, because he swooped down to capture her mouth again with a low, rumbling sound.

There was no spark this time. This was pure, undiluted heat. His lips devoured hers, one of his hands sliding up her spine to cradle the back of her head as she returned his kiss with equal fervor. Her arms wrapped around his neck, trying to pull him closer as she nibbled at his lower lip lightly with her teeth. The action made him groan, his armored fingers flexing into the curve of her hip and making her gasp. He took advantage of her parted lips, sweeping his tongue into the honeyed cavern of her mouth.

She made a tiny, mewling sound and his grip on her tightened as she met his tongue with hers, boldly sucking on it, making him groan again. He retreated from her mouth to take a breath of air and she followed, sealing their lips again in another searing melding of mouths. As her fingers played at the thick, dark hair at the nape of his neck, his hand at her hip began to knead gently, smoothing its way around to firmly squeeze her rear through the leather pleats of her skirt.

She made a startled sound and it seemed to jerk him out of whatever desire-filled haze he had fallen under. His hands moved to her shoulders to set her somewhat away from him suddenly, his face beet red.

"I-I'm sorry, Elissa, I-I just-"

She put a finger against his lips to halt the stammering apology.

"I don't want you to stop," she admitted huskily and he let out a low sound, pulling her against him and burying his face in her hair, his hands entangling in the strands.

"Please, Elissa," he whispered, "I-I don't know how-how to-"

She turned her head to press quick, nipping kisses to his jaw, his cheek.

"You don't need to," she whispered into his ear, making him shudder against her.

He didn't say anything else, a growl coming from his throat as he bent her back and covered her mouth with his again. Her hands roved down his shoulders, seeking and finally finding the clasps that held his plate armor as he tore his lips from hers to kiss a trail of fire down the line of her neck. As she dexterously flicked open the various clasps, Alistair pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses to her throat, his tongue flicking out to taste the soft skin and making her head tip back.

"Oh, Maker, Alistair."

Her name on his lips must have done something to him, because he shuddered again, his hands stopping their roaming long enough to tug off his gauntlets. His bare fingers worked at the ties that held her leather armor, fumbling at them clumsily. Elissa found the last metal fastening, the plate falling from his body with a loud thunk of metal hitting stone, but neither of them paid it any heed. Loosening the strings of his undershirt, she felt him hiss out a breath as her fingertips skimmed the bare flesh of his torso beneath the fabric, causing her lips to curve into a wickedly pleased smile. She ran her nails lightly across the flesh of his stomach, angling her head to capture his earlobe gently between her teeth simultaneously, causing him to make a strangled sound.

Her chuckle of amusement turned into another soft gasp when his large hand slid down the material that covered her waist, apparently abandoning his quest to remove her brigantine for the moment, over the pleats that hung against her thigh, down to her bare knee and lifting it to wrap around his narrow hip. Then his wandering palm was gliding along the smooth skin of her leg, pushing the leather higher up her thigh until his fingers caressed the rounded flesh of her rear again. His mouth had found hers again, their tongues warring for dominance of the kiss when she unexpectedly made a wiggling, hopping motion, wrapping her other leg around him. Nimbly, she slithered a hand between them, unfastening his codpiece from the front of his trews.

His hands immediately cupped her bottom, holding her up as her arms wrapped around his shoulders to keep her balance. She rocked her hips, feeling the bulge in the front of his leather under-trousers press intimately against the sweetly aching heat of her center. The contact made them both moan and the thought dazedly crossed Elissa's mind that she was never going to get enough of this.

She undulated her hips again, a spear of heat lancing through her, making her head spin. Not overly concerned with not falling, she used one hand to anchor herself to him, fingers weaving into the short strands of his hair, while the other undid the last knots that held the leather to her body. With a roll of her shoulders, it fell away, the chill air mixing with the heat of his body and causing goosebumps to erupt across her skin. His fingers dug into the ample flesh of her rear, amazing her with his sheer physical strength as he lifted the other hand away. She tightened her legs around his hips as his fingertips whispered over the flesh of her abdomen, curving around her torso, pressing them closer together as his lips assaulted hers again and again.

Elissa shifted against him when his fingers found the edge of her breast band and he broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, panting when she rolled her hips against him.

"If you keep that up, vixen, this isn't going to last very long."

Smiling into his eyes sweetly, she ran her hands down his chest, making him shudder, then groan as her fingers wedged between their tightly molded bodies to cup him through the cloth confines of his trews. Deviously, she ran her thumbnail over the length of him, making his hips buck against her hand helplessly.

Something in him must have snapped, because with a flick of his finger, he had undone her soft, upper undergarment. Then he hoisted her up higher, bringing his knee up under her bum to help him balance her weight. His mouth dove to the revealed globes of her breasts, licking a hot, wet trail over one's slope and sending damp heat straight to her core. When he captured one candy pink bud between his lips and suckled, Elissa swore she saw lights flash. Then her back was against the cold wood of an empty bookcase and Alistair used the opportunity for leverage and allowing his hands the freedom to rove as they pleased.

Her fingernails were digging into the fabric that covered his broad shoulders as he switched his attentions to the other nipple, one of his hands moving to roll the recently abandoned one between his thumb and forefinger. Her hips jerked when she felt his free hand slid up the soft flesh of her inner thigh, his knuckles sliding up the damp folds that were hidden just behind the thin fabric of her small clothes.

"No fair," she whined breathlessly as his hands wreaked havoc across her body.

His lips moved upwards, nibbling along the flesh of her collarbone until he met her lips again, giving her a long, deep kiss.

"Yes fair," he muttered against her mouth.

Elissa's hands found the hem of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head, letting out a moan when their bare chests slid against one another for the first time, creating a delicious friction. Then, exploring the muscled flesh with a happy sigh, she then found the waistline of his trousers. Alistair suddenly caught her hands.

"You're going to be the death of me, woman," he murmured.

"Probably," she agreed breathlessly.

There was little use for words after that as her hands snaked back down to the front of his pants, making swift work of the belt buckle and the remaining buttons of his trews. Teasingly, Elissa dipped her fingers beneath the waistband. She was distracting him with her lips as she ran her nails lightly just around the straining length that pressed insistently against her.

Alistair hissed out a breath, grabbing her hands and pulling them up to drape them over his shoulders, sipping at her lower lip. Groaning, he wrapped his arms around her and carried her towards the campfire, kneeling and lying her down on the thick furs that covered the hard, stone floor. He stood up and she watched with rapt, hungry attention as he hooked his thumbs into the waistline of his trousers, kicking off his boots and shucking the material in a fluid motion.

Then he dropped to his knees and crawled over her body, his head dipping to press tongue-flicked kisses against the skin of her calves, tugging off her boots. Then his lips were gliding upwards, pressing soft, tender kisses up to her thighs, where his progress became inhibited by her leather skirt. He paused, his hands sliding up her long legs to slip his thumbs beneath the leather that hugged her waist, bringing the thick material down, along with her smalls, then tossing them over his shoulder carelessly. As his eyes landed on the triangle of curls at the juncture of her thighs, he let out a shaky breath and Elissa could see the tension in his body building.

Hesitation filled his caramel gaze and he looked up into her face, the question silent, yet clear. She gave him a reassuring smile.

She shifted her legs, opening before him like a spring bloom and the heat that had lighted in his eyes earlier returned with a vengeance. Her eyes blinked and he was over her, his desire nudging the inside of her thigh as his lips found hers again. He murmured something against her lips, words that made her heart both flutter and stop, her blood to race and freeze.

"I love you."

Speechless for a moment, she just stared up into his adoring eyes, before she swallowed hard with a quiet smile and leaned close to his ear, whispering her reply against the delicate shell. A happy, almost goofy, endearing grin spread across his lips and she bucked her hips up against his, her body reminding both of them that it was begging for a release.

Alistair reached a hand down and guided himself towards her center, sheathing his length inside her in a single, swift stroke. She was tight, unbelievably tight from years of abstinence, and he gritted his teeth, his body's need fighting his will to keep still, to allow her to adjust to him.

Then she was peppering his jaw, his cheeks, with featherlight brushes of her lips and he pulled back, bracing his weight above her on his forearms. He thrust back into her, slowly, pushing inch by inch until he was once more buried to the hilt with a low groan. Her slick folds engulfed him in their heat as he pulled back again, his strokes becoming more sure with each passing moment. His mouth trailed down the curve of her jaw as he began to move in earnest, words whispered in her ear, only for her, always for her.

The world spun away as their bodies found a natural rhythm. Ripples built hotly low in her belly, like a stone had been dropped and the effects of its passage rolled through her body. Her inner walls tightened around his length, making them both groan, her mouth finding his, his tongue mimicking the motion of his hips. With a shudder, the wave she had been riding crested, tossing her beneath it as she breathed out his name again and again, his fingers linking with hers as he rode out her peak with her.

He thrust a few more times erratically as he followed her over the edge with a low shout, muffled as he buried his face in her hair, his free hand cradling her head against him.

Alistair rolled them over onto their sides, their bodies rapidly cooling in the snowy room and he tiredly tugged a blanket over them. Feeling sated and near boneless, Elissa tucked her head beneath his chin, her hands cupped in front of her against his chest. He pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

"We should probably put back on some of our clothes before we freeze to death in here."

Elissa gave a low laugh.

"And so we don't shock poor Leliana and Morrigan."

Alistair seemed to ponder her words, his fingers gently weaving through the strands of her hair in his musing.

"Well, maybe we can put it off for a bit longer. I'm sure our body heat, the furs, and the campfire will keep us adequately warm."

She swatted at his chest lightly, unable to help the grin that curved her lips.

"You're incorrigible, you handsome, cheese-loving fool."

He rolled them over again until she was draped over him, his eyes crinkling up happily.

"Maybe so, but I'm your fool...and I love you."

The back of her fingers brushed against his cheek.

"I know."


End file.
